In the related art, iron cases that receive an iron are generally equipped with a table where an iron is placed, a receiving case that surrounds the iron and has a lower opening closed by the table, and a locking mechanism that combines the table with the receiving case. An example of an iron case having a configuration that prevents the locking mechanism, which combines the table with the receiving case, from being unlocked when the case is lifted and carried (for example, see PTL 1), has been disclosed.
According to the iron case described in PTL 1, a locking mechanism is unlocked by pressing an operating button, when a receiving case is separated from the table. In detail, the locking mechanism is unlocked by lifting up the receiving case, with the operating button pressed in the direction opposite to the direction in which the receiving case is lifted up and separated. Therefore, it has the advantage that the locking mechanism is not unexpectedly unlocked. However, it is difficult to unlock the locking mechanism when separating the receiving case from the table and it is inconvenient to use.
An example of an iron case that makes it easy to unlock a locking mechanism in consideration of the problem is disclosed (for example, PTLs 2 and 3).
A locking mechanism of an iron case of the related art which is described in PTL 2 is described with reference to FIG. 9.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the main parts of a locking mechanism of an iron case of the related art.
As shown in FIG. 9, receiving case 51 includes operating button 52, locking body 55 having engagement groove 53 and claw 54 protruding upward at operating button 52, and locking spring 56 biasing operating button 52 in the opposite direction to an unlocking direction (direction of an arrow AA). Table 57 has locking portion 58 having predetermined allowance (margin) in the vertical direction to be engaged with engagement groove 53 of locking body 55. As receiving case 51 is lifted up, locking portion 58 is fitted into engagement groove 53 of locking body 55 in response to relative separation of receiving case 51 and table 57. Accordingly, locking body 55 is prevented from moving in the direction of arrow AA of Fig.9, which is the unlocking direction of locking body 55.
Meanwhile, when receiving case 51 is separated from table 57, operating button 52 is operated in the direction of an arrow AA against the biasing force of locking spring 56. Operating button 52 being in contact with the outer side of receiving case 51 compresses locking spring 56. As a result, locking body 55 moves in the separation direction from table 57 and locking mechanism 59 is unlocked. Receiving case 51 is lifted up, with locking mechanism 59 unlocked by moving operating button 52 outward. Accordingly, receiving case 51 is separated from table 57.
However, in the iron case having the configuration of the related art, operating button 52 is disposed on the outer side of receiving case 51 to be exposed. The upper end portion of operating button 52, which corresponds to a point P on the outer side of receiving case 51, is movably biased inward by locking spring 56, by being in contact with point P on the outer side of receiving case 51. Accordingly, when unexpected external shock is applied to receiving case 51 that is being carried, receiving case 51 is instantaneously elastically deformed. The position of operating button 52 biased by locking spring 56 is displaced (moved) and deviates from a predetermined position.
As a result, the locking mechanism causes the following malfunction.
That is, operating button 52 is deviated from a predetermined position by external shock applied to receiving case 51 during carrying. As a result, locking portion 58 and claw 54 that prevent locking body 55 from moving in the unlocking direction are damaged. Since operating button 52 is exposed on the outer side of receiving case 51, the degree of damage increases when external shock is applied directly.
Hereafter, a mechanism that causes malfunction in locking mechanism 59 is described in detail.
In general, receiving case 51 is made of thermally-resistant thermo-plastic resin, for example, ABS resin, which is strong against shock and has high elasticity in order to be able to receive a heavy iron that remains hot after being used. Therefore, the elastic deformation of receiving case 51 which is generated when external shock is applied is instantaneously restored. However, operating button 52 is disposed to be movable by locking spring 56 in receiving case 51. Therefore, when deviating from a predetermined position by external shock, operating button 52 remains in the deviated state. When a hot iron is received after being used, the internal temperature of receiving case 51 increases and receiving case 51 may also be heated, such that elastic deformation becomes easy to occur; therefore, the operating button is more easily moved from a predetermined position. These are factors that cause malfunction in locking mechanism 59.
Therefore, the iron case having the configuration described above has a problem in that it is difficult to achieve both easy unlocking operability when separating a receiving case and at the same time preventing the malfunction in the locking mechanism with respect to the external shock.    PTL 1: Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 1-153189    PTL 2: Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 7-124397    PTL 3: Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 8-89699